Tuesday, 22 April 2014

Film Education

During one of our lectures we learnt about how film is used in education and the advantages and disadvantages of this. To start the lecture, we were asked what was our favourite film and then asked to explain this. I chose 8 Mile as my favourite film and explained that Eminem who plays the main role is my favourite artist and that is what influenced my decision.


The use of media in schools has become more and more popular in this day and age as it is believed young people need to be able to participate in a variety of creative practices. The use of technology and media affect how people work, how they socialise and communicate and how they learn and share knowledge. This is what is making teachers more aware of the importance of preparing children for a digital world as everything in this era is technology based.


A research project was taken out and the findings showed that there was a significant impact on pupils learning as they were more motivated, more engaged and there was improvements in their educational attainment.


In todays classrooms it would be seen as un-modern to see a lesson without any use of media being used. Technology has had a huge impact on education over the last century. Many classes in the past used blackboards and whiteboards, but in the majority of classrooms now there are interactive whiteboards, ipads or computers which make learning more active and fun.
The use of Film in the classroom is becoming more recognised by teachers as a valuable tool used to engage learners with the curriculum.  By using film in the classroom you can contextualise difficult areas of the curriculum and make them more interesting and easier to understand. By doing this children become more positive with their school experiences and allows teachers to help broaden the minds of their pupils.
Over the years, the use of film in primary schools has brought more attention to the teachers eye especially when using for storytelling. Traditionally in the past stories were told by one person and it was their job to continue that cycle, nowadays stories are told through screens such as the TV, a mobile, a tablet or ipad. We now are more likely to listen or watch a video rather than the traditional way of picking up a book.

In my opinion film is a more interesting way of learning, although not part of the national curriculum it is a fun and exciting way to get pupils motivated to learn. Film encourages some children to make an emotional connection allowing them to gain more of an understanding for themselves helping them to benefit with their achievements. This will be extremely beneficial for those who are visual and auditory learners. Using film within education can also teach about different aspects of life such as teaching about friendship, courage, honesty, respect, and right and wrong. I know that my younger brother who is four years old enjoys reading books but also thoroughly enjoys using his tablet to watch videos and stories on. At this age it is important that he develops his reading skills and as he is above average for his age, I believe that the use of media has encouraged him to learn more and take in more knowledge to someone who is not as exposed to this technology at home.




References




Friday, 18 April 2014

St Fagans National History Museum

In Relation to The Mantle of the Expert Approach Me and my family decided to take a trip to St Fagan's National History Museum just outside of Cardiff during the Easter holidays.

This teaches children all about the different historical periods including the likes of houses, a farm, a chapel, a school and a workmen's institute.  This has been open to the public since the 1st November 1948 and is thoroughly enjoyed by many schools being one of the main attractions in Wales.

By taking children here they can learn all about their heritage and can learn interesting facts about the historic days and how and what they lived like. The experience of St Fagan's is a worthwhile experience as you learn just how much times have changed and learn to appreciate what in fact exists in todays society.

Thursday, 10 April 2014

The Mantle of the Expert Approach

The mantle of the expert approach is an inquiry-based approach giving children the opportunity to learn through drama. The teacher gives out tasks and children are given  freedom to set up their own groups and are supposed to responsibly use this time to learn effectively. These tasks usually relate to topics such as History, English and Maths. For this type of learning to be effective, planning must be done carefully so that they can consider the task as it was real and could then find solutions for problems that may arise.

In one of the seminars we were given the task of setting up our own construction companies which would meet the needs of the local council. The brief was that a bridge needed to be built down Swansea marina and a 6 million pound budget was given. This task included thinking of a company name, slogan, deciding who did what job, who was responsible for what etc. I grouped up with Nicole, Nickey, Mathew, Kia and Andrew and we decided that we would call our company the ''Bridge Builders'' with the slogan


   ''Building bridges for a living, No bridge too big or too small''.

As a group we decided that I would be the manager so was therefore in charge of deciding who did which job. By the end of this task we all agreed although it was a fun and active way of learning, it was in fact a lot of work. The question is though, why is this approach considered so important for education? This type of approach allows children to unconsciously learn from a range of different subjects whilst being able to take on the roles of different things and working within a team.


References

Egan, K. (2001) The cognitive tools of children's imagination.

Taylor, A. (2006) A Critical Evaluation of ‘‘Mantle of the Expert’’ as a Teaching
and Learning Approach, Based on Pupil and Practitioner Opinion. http://







Saturday, 5 April 2014

TECHNIQUEST

During the Easter Holidays I took a trip to Techniquest Science Centre situated in Cardiff Bay with my 4 Year old brother Liam so that he could experience some active learning outside of school. Although he is at a young age, it is important for his development that he learns about new things and it encourages his learning. As he is above average intelligence for his age group I thought that taking him here would be a good idea.

When getting to Techniquest I already knew that the exhibits were interactive and very informative. Many of the activities were aimed at older children but Liam was fascinated with most of them and when explained to knew how to work them. Pretty much everything there had someone talking to you explaining what was happening, why it was happening and most importantly how it was happening. 

Learning outside of the classroom is a great way to get children thinking, they ask questions, they wonder why certain things work, they become interested. This in terms of creativity is great as it gives children a good amount of knowledge for them to take away.

Techniquest allows children to learn a range of scientific topics in a fun hands on way. There are also exciting shows which are held such as the digital planetarium allowing you to look at the night sky and learn about the constellations.


References
http://www.techniquest.org/